BJP facing rebellion in cold desert

Inside reports claimed that Thuptsan Chhewang and Motup were humiliated by a section of BJP leaders of Jammu and New Delhi.

First-time BJP MP from Ladakh, Thupstan Chhewang, has exposed BJP’s top brass over their poor handling of Ladakh affairs.

He also charged party leaders for ignoring Ladakhi sentiments and failing to deliver on their promises made to the electorate in the region during 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

At present Chhewang’s resignation hasn’t been accepted either by the BJP or the Lok Sabha Speaker but his straight talking has already created ripples in the state politics leaving BJP red-faced.

Last week BJP MP had announced his resignation from the primary membership of the party on health grounds.

He had also written to the Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to accept his resignation.

While speculations were on in the corridors of power over circumstances leading to his resignation, state BJP Chief Ravinder Raina publicly announced party MP from Ladakh was requesting for stepping down from the active politics for over one year and now he has finally called it quits.

The justification given by the party Chief further enraged senior party MP Thupstan Chhewang.

On Sunday he shot off another letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP Chief Amit Shah while raising question marks over BJP’s stand on Ladakh affairs.

Chhewang also dragged BJP national general secretary, Ram Madhav’s name in the ongoing war of words.

He held both Ram Madhav and State unit chief, Ravinder Raina responsible for taking “unwise decisions” pertaining to Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils, Leh and Kargil.

At present Chhewang’s resignation hasn’t been accepted either by the BJP or the Lok Sabha Speaker but his straight talking has already created ripples in the state politics leaving BJP red-faced.

In his letter to Amit Shah, Chhewang said he wanted to keep his resignation low key affair but propaganda by certain former colleagues has compelled him to detail reasons for resignation in a letter to the Prime Minister.

Contents of the letter

In an explosive letter written to the Prime Minister, Chhewang referred to the assurance made by the Central party leadership for grant of Union Territory status to Ladakh “within six months” during 2014 Lok Sabha elections and inclusion of Bhoti language in eighth schedule of the Indian Constitution saying both the assurances weren’t fulfilled though he repeatedly took up them with the Central leaders as well as party forums.

“As a local representative, my position increasingly became morally and politically untenable with the party and its Central leaders exhibiting little concern for implementing categoric assurance given at the time of 2014 elections that the demand of Ladakh region for a Union Territory status would be met within six months.

We exposed ourselves to the charge of making false promises even on such sentimental issues as the inclusion of the Bhoti language in the eighth schedule of the Indian Constitution,” Chhewang said.

He said he kept on writing to almost all party leaders including the Prime Minister and also highlighted the issue in the national executive meeting of the party reminding all the senior party leaders about our commitment to the region but regretted that all pleas fell on deaf ears.

“Our leaders never cared to logically explain the reasons for the delay in executing our electoral assurances,” he rued.

Commenting on the role played by BJP general secretary, Ram Madhav, Incharge Jammu and Kashmir and State party leadership, Thupstan said they made the matters worse by repeatedly rubbing salt into the wounds of Ladakh. He described their actions as “thoughtless”.

He described as “strange” the party decided to contest all seats in recently held LAHDC Kargil elections, wasting party money.

“They diverted attention from about half a dozen seats where the party had a winning chance while it had no base in rest of the Kargil district,” he argued giving reasons behind the party’s poor performance in the region.

Chhewang also questioned the party decided to remove LAHDC Leh Chairman-cum-CEC, Dorjay Motup saying this has angered the party loyalists.

“The Chief Executive Councilor of the LAHDC Leh has recently been unceremoniously dropped much to the anger and anguish of the party loyalists. All these measures have left the local workers in a state of disarray. There are examples of the total absence of application of mind with the 2019 Parliamentary elections round the corner,” he wrote.

Chhewang further said he was constrained to give vent to his feelings in view of propaganda by BJP State president Ravinder Raina that he had been writing to party’s Central leadership expressing the willingness to quit active politics and opting for spiritual isolation.

“Raina’s statement is far from the truth,” he said, adding he never met Raina after he became the State president nor he has cared to see me since his elevation.

“Indeed, I have written several letters to the party’s responsible leaders in the past but all of them have sought redressal of one problem or the other of Ladakh. Never have I given priority to my personal concerns. My idea of spirituality is not devoid of politics. In this regard, I am guided by Mahatma Gandhi,” Chhewang said.

In his letter to Amit Shah, Chhewang said he wanted to keep his resignation low key affair but propaganda by certain former colleagues has compelled him to detail reasons for resignation in a letter to the Prime Minister. He also sent a copy of the letter written to the Prime Minister to Amit Shah.

“2 of the 6 Lok Sabha seats from J&K will now be vacant till the general elections”.

Is Congress gaining currency in Ladakh?

BJP is expected to pay a heavy price in the next Lok Sabha polls in Ladakh region.

The manner in which it treated two respected leaders has not gone down well with the local population.

Ahead of Lok Sabha polls, the party was virtually wiped out in the recent elections for the Kargil’s LAHDC and the municipal council of Leh.

The Congress won all 13 seats of the Leh’s municipal council and the BJP could secure only one of the 26 seats of the LAHDC of Kargil.

In 2014 BJP had won the Ladakh Lok Sabha seat for the first time.

A popular Congress leader, Thupstan Chhewang, had joined BJP to contest the election.

He was reportedly promised a ministerial berth at the Centre but in the last, over four years his candidature was never considered for the top job.

Reacting to Chhewang’s resignation, former chief minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah tweeted: “2 of the 6 Lok Sabha seats from J&K will now be vacant till the general elections. Anantnag has been vacant for more than 2 years now & Ladakh falls vacant once this resignation is accepted”.

Rigzin Zora, Congress MLA from Ladakh, said the BJP had already been wiped out of Ladakh during the recent LAHDC, Kargil and municipal elections.

Inside reports claimed that Thuptsan Chhewang and Motup were humiliated by a section of BJP leaders of Jammu and New Delhi following the party’s rout in the municipal elections as a result of which both decided to quit.

Note:
1. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of PGurus.